Voters Won Today: League of Women Voters Prevails in Major Federal Voting Rights Case

Voters Won Today: League of Women Voters Prevails in Major Federal Voting Rights Case 

Politicians have no business standing in the way of our right to vote

Raleigh, NC: The League of Women Voters has just won a major federal voting rights case, reinstating significant rights for North Carolina voters in time for Election Day. The League has been fighting HB 589, an omnibus voter suppression bill designed to limit the rights of voters, especially communities of color, since 2013.

“Democracy wins today. Voters win today. This decision is the latest in a string of major federal rulings that send a clear message: Politicians have no business standing in the way of our right to vote,” said Mary Klenz, co-president of the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, a plaintiff in the case.  

“We are grateful to the Court of Appeals for seeing this bill for what it was: a race-based, chilling attempt to silence the voices of eligible voters,” said Chris Carson, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States.

“As we’ve seen in Wisconsin and Texas, and now North Carolina, federal courts are calling foul on post-Shelby attempts to suppress voters’ rights. Their rulings are loud and clear. Politicians do not control our democracy; voters do,” Carson said. 

“With this ruling, League volunteers will be able to get back to what we do best: equipping voters with the information they need to cast a vote this year,” continued Klenz. “We have a lot of work to do to make sure North Carolinians understand how this ruling affects them, and we stand ready to help millions of North Carolinians exercise their most fundamental right to vote.”

The League of Women Voters was represented by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union, and was joined by North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute, Onestop Unifour Collaborative, Common Cause North Carolina, and five individuals as plaintiffs on this lawsuit.

 Contact: Maggie Bush, 202-429-1965

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The League of Women Voters is celebrating 96 years of Making Democracy Work® at every level of government. In 1920, the League was founded as an outgrowth of the movement that secured women the right to vote to help new voters engage with their government. Today the League empowers all voters to improve their local, state and national government. Learn more about the League of Women Voters and join our celebration!